Gabriel - Holiday Traditions

The cacophony of laughter was accompanied by the clinking of glasses and the occasional shout. It was muffled behind closed doors, filtering through the cracks where amber light spilled.  Next to me, Gabriel continued staring at the bars that were embedded in the wood. The iron looked as if they twisted within the planks, weaving in and out in intricate little patterns. I knew it was an old cell door. It was an oddity about the Velvet Guard. If they needed a room, they converted a cell. It left most of the establishment depressing, to say the least.

Looking towards him, I squeezed his hand. “We do not have to do this.”

He looked startled, so lost in his reverie that he had forgotten I was even there. Clearing his throat, he shook his head. “There is no reason not to.”

“You looking at the door as if it is your own personal enemy is kind of the reason not to,” I told him.

He bristled at that. Gabriel didn’t have enemies, according to him. He had adversaries and even then, they were only the ones that had dared to try and sully the market. Meaning, me. “I can handle a company holiday party.”

“You hate people.”

“I do not.”

“When you were invited to come, you literally asked Marissa why.”

“I was simply inquiring why she would be inviting me at all. They never have before.”

It was true. Most of the Velvet Guard kept their distance from the Warden. He was their superior. But there had been a development in recent years that I didn’t think many anticipated. Especially given how thoroughly Gabriel had cleaned house. A small pocket of his closest, the ones who trusted him and actually wanted the man around, had formed a tight-knit bond within the organization. They found Gabriel’s dryness endearing and his stories fascinating. They were young, of course. Not yet jaded. Secretly, I hoped they stayed that way. There needed to be a bit more innocence within the guard. Kindness was a trait sorely lacking within positions of authority and I was hoping to gently nudge that change into being a respected quality within the next few years.

But Gabriel found all of it uncomfortable. Not the act itself. Genuine goodwill towards others was something he admired. Held on a pedestal even. But in the face of it, I was finding he fumbled. As if he was so unused to it at this point that he had forgotten how to react.

“Let’s just make a small appearance,” I suggested. “Then we can go back to your place if you want. Open a bottle of ghost wine. Sit in front of the fire.”

He squeezed my hand tightly, his other tugging at the wool knit sweater I had made him buy for the occasion. It was still in a dark blue but had small shimmering celestial patterns across the collar and edges of the sleeves.  “Yes. I am looking forward to getting this sweater off.”

I grinned at him, knowing his armor had been taken away. “I’m looking forward to you getting that sweater off as well.”

I saw the hint of a smile on his face, the crack in the exterior. It was enough to give him the courage to open the door.

The sight that greeted us beyond was warm and inviting if one could overlook the fact that it was still a renovated cell. But, whoever had decorated, placed bottles with glowing candles all around the room, sending an array of flickering glass spinning up above as they twirled in a mimicry of a chandelier. There was a table near the back with some of the best smelling food I had witnessed in a while, and every available surface had soft throw blankets and pillows. They had done their best to make the cell as cozy as possible.

“Warden!” Tally greeted us. She was around when the lights had gone out and had insinuated herself in the ranks without an interview. It wasn’t until nearly a year later that anyone realized no one had actually hired her. She stole a uniform and claimed she worked for the guard. Given how hard she worked, Gabriel hadn’t been inclined to make an issue out of it.

“Happy holidays, Tally.”

She smiled brightly at him. “And this is… oh… this is the Night Market.”

The room went silent. There had of course been rumors about the two of us, but nothing confirmed. It hadn’t been anyone's business. But now, I supposed, since we were going to parties together and events in the future, it was high time people knew. That, and I wasn’t going to lie, it was a show of strength against any of the naysayers of Gabriel’s current position.

“Warden, you aimed high,” someone from the back called. “Where do I get myself a sentient world for a partner.”

Gabriel shifted next to me, and I could have sworn he was reaching for his sword. I placed a hand on his arm and stopped forward. “Hi,” I greeted. “Night is just okay. Night Market feels a little odd.”

Tally smiled broadly. “So you’re the reason Warden is here, I’m guessing.” Gabriel was still staring at the guy in the back of the room, his hand hovering dangerously over his blade. “We’ve seen the changes in him. Eating better and all that. Got to say, love what you have brought out in him. Can I buy you a drink? And by buy you a drink, I mean, can I get you a drink that we have made the Warden pay for?”

“Within reason,” Gabriel grumbled.

Tally grabbed my arm and tugged me away from. “Of course, within reason, boss!” she looked at me, shaking her head. “What is his version of ‘reason’.”

“Oh,” I hissed in sympathy. “You can expect you’ve already gone past that.”

Tally winced, but what’s done was done and she kept walking anyway.

The party was small. It boasted no more than a dozen colleagues. These were the ones that had been there through the thick of it. The ones that were actively trying to change the way the guard operated. I could tell, as I looked at all of them, that they were passionate about their work. That they held a respect for Gabriel.

And he, them.

I walked over to him after I had made my rounds, coming to lean into his side as he sat on a comically oversized couch that I was pretty certain was the old cot in the cell. “You’ve done well,” I told him.

He was sipping his wine, looking around the room. “I’m afraid none of this is me.”

“You are allowing the change to happen. Part of it is you. Don’t underestimate yourself.” 

“They are good people,” he said slowly, looking at them all in turn. “I need to remember not to underestimate them just because they are not hardened.”

“Look at you,” I teased. “A far cry from the man who threw me in a pit to die.” I watched him wince. It wasn’t one of his favorite memories but it certainly was one that I wasn’t going to let him forget. Smiling, I leaned forward, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Also, go easy on Tally. She definitely went over your budget plan.”

He frowned. “I suppose her holiday gift can be that I pay for this out of pocket.”

“I think that would be really nice.”

Sighing, he wrapped his arm around me. “This is not becoming a tradition,” he murmured. But the room was softly lit and people were happy. They were genuinely happy to be with each other. To be in a room with good friends and conversation. And while it was small and humble, it was a start to something so much greater than anyone even realized. It was a start to a group that would walk through the new phase of the Night Market together, heads held high.

I looked at Gabriel out of the corner of my eye, noticing how he saw it all too.

“Fine,” he conceded with a put out sigh. “Maybe this can become a tradition.”

I laughed a little, threading my fingers through his. “Do you want to go?”

His grip tightened around me as he sunk down into the cushions of the sofa bed a little further. “No. We can stay for a while longer.”